Legal Atlas Consultant – Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility (Remote)

About the role

The consultant will lead the creation of a global Legal Atlas that documents the statutory age of majority and the minimum age of criminal responsibility for all countries and territories, supporting UNICEF’s advocacy for a minimum age of 14 years without exceptions.

Key responsibilities

• Lead research, validation, design and online development of a global Legal Atlas documenting statutory age of majority and minimum age of criminal responsibility for all countries and territories.
• Extract and record legal information from constitutions, criminal and juvenile justice legislation, civil codes and other authoritative sources, ensuring citations, dates and exceptions are captured in a structured dataset.
• Analyse each jurisdiction against international standards, prepare country profiles, coordinate validation with UNICEF country offices and COEs, and maintain a comments and resolution log.
• Design the information architecture, user journeys, wireframes and visual design of the Atlas, configure the online database with search, filter, comparison and download functions, and provide administrator guidance.
• Conduct quality assurance, user testing, incorporate feedback, and deliver a launch‑ready knowledge product.

Required profile

• Master’s degree in law, human rights, international development, public policy, social sciences or a related field.
• At least six years of progressively responsible experience in justice for children, child protection, human rights or legal reform, including comparative legal research across multiple jurisdictions.
• Fluency in written and spoken English; working proficiency in French or Spanish is highly desirable.
• Strong knowledge of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, General Comment No. 24 and related international standards.

Required skills

• Ability to verify primary legal sources and manage structured legal datasets.
• Experience developing legal atlases, digital knowledge products or online public‑facing platforms.
• Excellent analytical, drafting, editing and stakeholder‑coordination skills.